Dough-mixing apparatus



W. A. DARRAH.

DOUGH MIXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 4, 1920.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. DAR-BAH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE EKCOENGINEERING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l

BOUGE-MIXING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application led October 4, 1920. Serial No. 414,464.

To @Zlio/710m t may con cern Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in DougliMixingApparatus,

of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for mixing and kneading materials,and is particularly suited for the preparation of dough used in theprocess of making bread, cake and similar materials, although it will beobvious that the same equipment may be employed, with onlyA minorchanges, for the mixing of various other materials, such as paints,molded compositions, carbon forelectrode purposes, and, otherapplications.

The object of this invention is to provide simple, effective and durableequipment for thoroughly mixing and kneading various materials. Otherobjects are to reduce the labor involved in handling the materialkneaded. The invention also provides a rcsilient means for absorbingshocks in the mechanism, thus materially increasing the life of theapparatus, reducing the wear and depreciation, and allowing thesatisfactory use of a. lighter and less expensive design. Other objectswill be apparent from a consideration of the description and drawings.

Referring to the drawing, Figure I shows a vertical end elevation of oneform of my invention, part of the elevation being in section to moreclearly disclose the details. Fig. II is a` vertical side elevationpartly7 in section.

In Fig. I, (1) indicates the mixing trough mounted by bearing (2) onshaft which is supported in illow block (4) carried by standard l(5).1Standard (5) is carried by base (6) or other suitable support, Spurgear (7) is mounted upon shaft (3) and serves to drive shaft (3) bymeshing the gear (8) which is carried on shaft (9). Shaft' (9) may bedriven by a silent chain carried by sprocket (10) and moved by motor(11). It will be obvious that many other mechanical equivalents can beemployed and still come within the spirit of this invention.

Spiders (12) and (13) are keyed to shaft (3) and rotate with shaft (3)within drum (1). Arms (14) and (15) are carried by spiders (12) and (13)and serve to mix the ingredients which are to be blended. If desired,the mixing arms may be hollow and supplied with air under pressure, (orany other desired gases) which may thus be incorporate-d with thematerial to be mixed.

The dotted circle (16) indicates the path of travel of the extremepoints of the beater arms. It will be noted that drum (l) is mountedeccentrically with regard circle (16) and that therefore differentportions of the drum are at different distances from the beater arms,thus allowing a varying clearance for purposes which will be describedlater.

A hopper (17) is provided on drum (1) for charging the material into themixer. A cover (18) may be provided on said hopper (17 and grates orscreens (19) are so placed as to make it impossible for the operator toinjure his hand while operating the mixer. Cover (20) is provided forremoving the material from the mixer.

A boss (21) is provided on the end of drum Boss (2l) carries stud (22)which'engages with rod (23) of cylinder (24). A piston (25) is placed onthe end of rod (23) to coperate with cylinder (24). Cylinder (24) isprovided with end piece (26) which is pivoted on shaft (27) andsupported by bracket (28).v

Cylinder (24) is provided with inlet connections (29) and (30)'connectedto fourway valve (31) which is supplied with air under pressure, orwater, by inlet.(32). Valve is also provided with outlet [t should beunderstood that any commercial valve and cylinder may be employed forthis purpose without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Locking means are provided in upright for holding the drum (1) in anydesired position.

In operating the device, cover (18) is open while cover (20) remainsclosed. The various ingredients, such as flour, water, etc., are chargedinto the mixer through hopper (17) and the spiders (12) and (13) setinto rotation by means of the motor (11) acting through the transmissionsystem previously described.

In the operation of the mixer (particularly those which rotate from to100 revolutions per minute) there are experienced violent fluctuationsof resistence due tothe aggregation of the dough in various parts of theapparatus. This condition causes violent shocks on the equipment, andnot infrequently results in broken parts. It is also Vis p any desiredpoint by the action of the fluid pressure on the piston in cylinder(24).

In case water isV employed as the operating meansfor piston (25),expansion chambers (36) and (37) are provided and kept filled with air.In case piston (25) `is` operatedV by air pressure, `expansion chambersare of course unnecessary. y u

` With the equipment provided, the violence ofi the shocks is absorbedin the cushioning Veflect provided by the fluid means which4 hold fthedrum in position, for the reason that when the Apressure exceeds acertain value, due to the; accumulation of doughl between thebeaterarms` and, drum (l), the drum (l) tendsto rotate about shaft (3)in the direction' ofthe arrow. This puts ten'- sion on rod (23) whichcompresses the fluid within cylinder, (24) and thus moves the 'drumslightly p, in the-` direction of :rotation:

` When the blow has, passed,v the jpressure which hasaccurnulated in thefluid system sition. Y f

"'LVhenit is. ,.desired to empty the mixed dough fromthe, drum(1).the^fourwaylvalve (33) is turnedintosuch position that fluid causes`the drum to return to its original pois. forced through pipel(30).:into cylinder (24) from supply (32) :while at `the same timefluidis allowedto exhaust from cylinL i Y der (2st) through pipe `(29) toexhaust pipe (83). `This causes piston (25) to move npward,l whichpushes on stud (22) rotating drum` into the `position shown` in thedotted line.` lThe `dough then falls into the dough trough where'itisremoved for furthermanipulation.V l

`l/Vh'en it is desired to placca new charge into the mixer, valve (31)is turned in the reversedirection, thus pulling `downward on rod (23).Vwhich. returns the drum (1)t0 its original position.` It will be evidentthat the operation of the cylinder' A(24) isfsmooth, uniform` and silentand the drum may be rotated without effortwhether themixer is inoperation or not.

Itis a `well known fact thatthe mixing of differentV doughsrequiresslightly dit'- ferent equipment, 1mainly because of the thickness orviscosityof' the .dough One important cause .which hasfresulted inthepurchaserof different. types of mixers for different;doughs,has been the4fact that the clearance between the beater armswand the drum is fixed,anda clearance-.which is satisfactory for.;"thin or fluid doughs .is toosmall for.V thick or viscousdough. The reverseconditionfof course `istrue.` I have found that-.by-rotatingthe drum (l) `into a position suchthat the clearancebetween the lower portion ot the drum and the path ofthe beater arms, is increased,-that it is pos-V sible to use a mixersatisfactorily on very thick doughs, while by (rotating the drum intosuch.` a position that the clearance in the lower portion of the mixeris decreased, it is possi-ble to secure excellent results with thin7dough. Y

In the device which forms the basis of this invention, itis possible tocontrol the position of the drum (l) at all times during the mixingoperation, thus making it possible to suitvthe `mixer to any quality of.dough at anytime during the mixing process.A

Y Itwill be obvious that manymodications cany be made in thestructureandarrangement `of this mixer without .departing` from the spirit of this`invention rl.`hus,1it is possible to connect thefluid operating cylinderto the ldrum by`means of `a cable,.chain or other link-imechanism',although I preferes tosaid drum, apr/ejection on .one-of-'saidterminals, a framevsupporting said rotating member, and a fluid operatedpiston mounted `upon.saidframe-` and engaging withv said ex-V tension tomove-.said drum.`

.2. A dough mixer Vconsisting of a doughf container, -a rotating member'therein, supports for said rotatingzmember, an'extension on saidl doughcontainer, a pistonrod engaging the said extension, the other end ofsaid piston rod being operatively attached to va fluid operatedcylinderarrangedfor turning saidA container.y

3. 'A dough mixer comprising a drum, a rotating member therein,vvsupports for said rotating 1nember,1.` means for turning said v drumyandresilient cushioning and adjusting means for holding said drum in anydel sired position and for cushioning the shocks of operation.4

` 4t.- A `dough mixer,"consisting of a dough container,a-mixingelementwithin said container, `a support for said container,about which itis rotatable,fand ak fluid operated: mechanism forrotating 'saidcontainen 5. Aidough mixer consisting of `a doughcontainer,V a rotating element` mounted therein,'-a shaft aboutwhichsaidncontainer is rotatable, and-a fluid operatedcylinderrfor rotatingsaid container.l

6. rlrdough` mixer 'consisting of a mixing element, idough containereccentrically mountedI with respect to saidmixingf ele ment,andfluidoperated means formoving said dough container in: such manner:that its lower portion-approachesior recedes from said mixing element.

7. A dough mixer consisting` of a :dough container, ya mixing elementtherein, a sup-A port for said dough container, a hydraulicl 8. In adough mixer, a hydraulic cylinder cylinder arranged to turn said doughconarranged to move said mixer, and expansion tainer, and expansionmeans connected to the chambers into which a limited amount of 10 fluidcircuit of said hydraulic Cylinder for Huid may pass When the cylinderiS sub- 5 allowino a limited amount of fluid to escape jected to shook.

from said Cylinder when subjected to pressure. WILLIAM At DARRAH.

